Indicator mechanism.



E. J. PACE & O. E. KELLUM.

INDICATOR MECHANISM.

I APPLICATION FILED 13130.13, 1911.

1,080,1 61 Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

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INDICATOR MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED 13170.13, 1911.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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INDICATOR MECHANISM.

APPLIGATION FILED mo; 13, 1911.

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

3 SHEETS-$113111 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR J. PAGE AND ORLANDO E. KELLUM, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO NATIONAL STREET AND STATION INDICATOR COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALI- FORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

INDICATOR MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 13, 1911.

Patented Dec. 2,1913.

Serial No. 665,446.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDGAR J. PAGE and ORLANDO E. KELLUM, citizens of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State of Califorma, have invented new and useful Improvements in Indicator Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a mechanism adapted for actuating an indicator or similar device, being applicable to any machine in which it is desired to have step by step movement of the character hereinafter described.

Although we have designed the present machine particularly for use on a station indicator for cars, the present mechanism is not necessarily limited to that use, it being capable of efficient action in many other connections, for instance in an advertising machine.

The prime objects of our present invention are as follows: The provision of an electrically actuated device which will operate an indicator shaft directly without the intervention of pawls or gears; a device having a minimum of purely mechanical complications and a minimum of wearing parts; a device which will operate with certainty; and particularly, a device wherein provision is made for only a single actuation at any one time regardless of the length of the initial electrical impulse, and in which the mechanism is protected from injury should the initial electrical impulse continue indefi nitely. All of these objects we have accomplished in the machine to be described in the following specification, together with certain minor objects which will appear as the specification progresses.

In its broad aspect our machine comprises a stationary electro-magnetic field and a movable armature, which armature is directly mounted on the indicator shaft, in combination with certain and suitable means for supplying current to the armature and field to actuate the armature through the desired portion of a revolution. In the present case we have shown the device as causing one-sixth of a revolution upon each actuation, but it will become evident that any other portion of a revolution may be arranged for. Means are provided for looking the indicator shaft and the armature in their stationary positions and for locking them in position immediately after the armature has moved through the desired portion of a revolution. All of these means, together with others, will be more fully explained in the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation, showing parts in section, of our complete mechanism. Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same taken on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar section taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the electrical connections throughout our complete machine.

In the drawings 5 designates a shaft, which may be the shaft of an indicating mechanism or of a mechanism of any similar character, it being the direct object, in this case, to rotate shaft 5 in either direction through one-sixth of a revolution and then to lock it in its final position. Shaft 5 is provided with certain members 6 hexagonal in form, these members in reality forming a portion of the indicator mechanism itself. However, they are made use of for mounting certain portions of the actuating mechanism, duplication of parts being thus avoided. But it will be seen that the hexagonal configuration has nothing whatever to do with the actuating mechanism.

On one of members 6 is mounted a series of electro-magnets 10, these electro-magnets forming in reality the armature of the actuating mechanism. We have shown these electro-magnets as twelve in number, the number being preferably some multiple of six (the number of movements of the shaft 5 to make a complete revolution). Electromagnets 10 are wound all in the same direction and are connected to commutative segments 11 in the manner shown particularly in Fig. 5. These connections will be explained hereinafter. Brushes 12 engage the commutative segments 11, the brushes being mounted on spring arms 13 supported on a block 14: which is in turn mounted on certain rods 15 forming a stationary portion of the mechanism. On block 14 is also mounted reversing switch 16, this switch 16 consisting of contacts 17 and 18 and an oscillating contact arm 19 mounted on a shaft 20. Shaft 20 extends outside of case 21 of the mechanism and there has a handle 22 for the purpose of oscillating the shaft to throw contact arm 19 into engagement with either of the contacts 17 and 18.

A disk 30 is mounted on shaft 5 soas to be slidable thereon, the disk being prevented from rotation by means of a pin 34 which projects through an aperture 35 in a mem ber 33 mounted on rods 15. The disk 30 may thus slide longitudinally of the shaft 5 but is prevented from rotation. h Iounted on disk 30 are two sets of electro-magnets 81 and 32. These magnets are wound in opposite directions, as will be hereinafter explained, and their relative windings and positions cause the formations of polarity at the points indicated by the letters N and S in Figs. 4L and 5. Mounted on disk 30 is a contact 10 which is adapted to engage with a spring pressed contact 41 when the disk 30 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. Current to the armature electro-magnets 10 is supplied through these contacts 4:0 and 4:1; and it will thus be seen that the armature will not move until the disk 30 has moved in the direction indicated through a suflicient dis tance to engage contact 10 with contact 41. This movement suhices to remove, or nearly so, a pin 15 carried by disk 30 from aperture 416 in flange 47, the engagement of pin 15 and aperture 416 normally preventing shaft 5 from revolution. There are six apertures 46 in the flange 17, so that the shaft 5 may be locked in any desired position after a revolution of sixty degrees. When current is supplied to magnets 81 they immediately move toward magnets 10, moving the disk 30 longitudinally with the results above explained. When the shaft 5 has been unlocked and the contact 4-0 has engaged the contact 11, current is then supplied to magnets 10 (as will be hereinafter explained) and the armature may then revolve and turn the shaft 5. But the duration of current supply is made such that the disk 30 is released and allowed to be pressed back to its normal position by a spring 50 and pin 415 will then enter the next aperture 1-6, stopping the shaft 5 after one-sixth of a revolution.

Loosely mounted on shaft 5 between two collars 60 is a collector ring device 61 having three rings 62, 63 and-6 11. Rings 62 and 63 are contacted by brushes (i5 and 66, respectively, these brushes being mounted on a stationary member 67. Ring 64 carries a contact finger or brush (38 adapted to engage with the raised ends (39 of a member when the collector ring device has been rotated through a small angle from its normal position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Hanging from collector ring device 61 is a pair of plates or bars which carry an electro-magnetic solenoid 76 at their lower ends, the weight of this solenoid tending to hold the collector ring device and its attached parts in its normal position as illustrated. Solenoid 76 has an attractable core 77 carrying on one end a contact disk 78 adapted to engage contacts 79 mounted on one end of the solenoid and to cause electrical connection between the two contacts 79 when the core 77 is attracted into the solenoid. A spring 80 returns the core to the position shown. hen current is supplied to the solenoid the first action is to draw the core 77 to the left in Fig. 1 and to engage disk 78 with the contacts 75) to close the circuit between them. At the same time the left hand end of core 77 is forced into the path of one of six pins 81 so that, upon the rotation of inen'iber 6, upon which these pins 81 are mounted, the solenoid will be rotated around with shaft 5 until it has described a sufficient arc to throw finger (18 into engagement with lugs 69 on member 70. The action of the engagement of the finger and lugs is to short the circuits which feed solenoid 76 with current, thereby allowing disk 78 to be spring pressed away from contacts 79.

This also immediately moves the end of core 77 out of engagement with pin 81 so that the solenoid 76 is allowed to swing back to its normal position directly under shaft- 5. As will be explained hereinafter, the switch formed by disk 7 8 and contacts 79 controls the supply of current to the motor mechanism which rotates the shaft As soon as the disk 7 S has been forced away from the contacts 79 current is cut off fro-m the motor mechanism; and, as hereinbefore indicated, the parts are so arranged (the relation of finger (is to lugs 69) that current is out 01f from the motor mecha nism (the field coils 31 and the armature coil 10) before the shaft 5 has been turned completely through one-sixth of a revolution. lVith no current flowing, the field coils 31 are not attracted toward the left and the spring 50 will force the disk 30 back to the right, in Fig. 1, so as to force pin 45 into the next aperture 1-(3 registering therewith. In the following claims we shall designate the whole mechanism dcscribed in this paragraph as a contact mechanism controlling supply of current to the armature and field, and operated by rotation with the shaft.

We have also shown a small electro-inagnet ha ing an armature 91 normally held away therefrom by a small spring 92. A contact 93 on the armature engages with a spring contact 9 1; and it will be hereinafter explained how the initial actuating electrical impulse passes through these two contacts and how electro-magnet 90 acts to separate the two contacts after a duration of current passage suflicient to actuate the whole mechanism to rotate the shaft 5; and how this action prevents indefinite supply of current to the mechanism should the switch which controls the initial impulse remain closed indefinitely.

Having now described the mechanical portions of our invention, we will proceed to the explanation of the electrical connections and actions.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 5, 100 designates a source of electrical energy, which may be a battery, generator, or other source of electrical energy. In electrically propelled cars it is common that this source of electrical energy should come directly from the two Sides of the main circuit, namely, the trolley wire and the ground rails; but any source will sufiice. From this source of electrical energy 100 a wire 101 leads to brush hearing on ring 62. A branch wire 102 leads from the same side of the source to a switch 103 which typifies any switch mechanism for supplying the initial impulse for actuating the mechanism. This switch may be operated on a trolley pole or beneath the car or in any approved manner. From the other side of switch 103 a wire 104 leads to armature 91 of electro-magnet 90. Connection is made through the armature 91 to contact 93 which normally engages with contact 94. A wire 105 leads from contact 94 to a wire 106. WVire 106 connects at one end with brush 71 which bears on collector ring 64 and connects at its other end with contacts 17 of the reversing switch hereinbefore described. The connections within the reversing switch will be explained indetail in the following: A wire 107 connects with contacts 18 of this reversing switch and also connects with contact 40 which is mounted on disk 30 as hereinbefore explained. Contact 40 is adapted to engage with contact 41 and a wire 108 leads from contact 41 and connects with a wire 109. Wire 109 connects at one end with the other side of source 100 and at the other end with one end of the field windings, which field windings are made up of the individual windings of electro-magnet 31. From the other side of these field windings a wire 110 leads to brush 66 which bears on ring 63. Ring 62 is connected by a wire or other connection 111 with one of contacts 79. The other contact 79 is connected by wire 112 with ring 64. Ring 63 is connected by wire 113 with a wire 114 which connects between one side of electro-magnet 76 and member carrying the two lugs 69 hereinbefore referred to. The other side of the electromagnet connects directly to wire 112.

One side of electro-magnet 90 is connected by a wire 120 to wire 104 while the other side of this magnet is connected by wire 121 with wire 109 which leads back to the last named side of the source of electrical energy 100.

In operation, switch 103 is first closed by any suitable mechanism; and it is usually the case that this switch is only closed momentarily, but it may be that it would be held closed for an indefinite time by a certain possible combination of circumstances. And the mechanism is so designed as to 0-bviate any diiiiculty arising from this source. Switch 103 being closed, current flows from a battery to wire 101, wire 102, switch 103, wire 104, armature 91, contact 93, contact 94, wire 105, wire 106, brush 71, ring 64, wire 112, electromagnet 76, wire 114, wire 113, ring 63, brush 66, wire 110, electro-magnets 31 and 32, wire 109 back to the other side of the source 100. This immediately energizes electro-magnets 31 and 32, cansing them to move to the left in Fig. 1 toward the armature magnet 10 and causing the shaft to be unlocked. At the same time magnet 76 is energized and draws its core 77 to the left in Fig. 1, causing disk 78 to engage with contacts 79 and causing the end of the core 77 to be thrown into the path of one of pins 81. This action takes place dur ing the shortest possible closure of circuit through switch 103; that is, plate 78 engages contacts 79 very quickly and before switch 103 is opened. As soon as the disk 78 has engaged the contacts 79 then the current from the source 100 flows through wire 101 to brush 65, through ring 62, wire 111, contacts 79 and disk 78, wire 112, and here the current divides, a portion passing through electro-magnet 76 and out through wires 114 and 113 and around through the connection to the field magnets 31 and 32 as hereinbefore described back to wire 109, and the other portion passing through wire 112, ring 64, brush 71, wire 106, contact 17 of the revcrsal switch 16, contact 19 or arm 19 thereof, wires 130 and brushes 12 and the windings of the armature magnet 10, contact 18, wire 107, contact 40, contact 41, and wire 108 to wire 109 which leads to the other side of the source 100. In the meantime the connection through the circuit in which switch 103 is placed is cut off either by the opening of switch 103 or by the automatic opening of the contacts 93 and 94. It is usually the case that switch 103 only remains closed for a very short interval; but if it should remain closed longer than necessary, the action of electro-magnet 90 is to attract armature 91 and to break the circuit between contacts and 94. Electro-magnet 90 is fed with current between wires 104 and 109; and the magnet is wound with sufficiently fine wire to cause an amount of lag suflicient for plate 78 to engage contacts 79 before the current at contacts 93 and 94 is broken. This simply introduces the time element, which is familiar to all skilled in the art. When current is first sent through magnets 31 and 32 it will be seen that the movement of disk 30 to the left in 1 will close the circuit at the contacts 40 and 11.. This provides that no current can be supplied to the armature until the field coils are adjacent the armature coil and until the shaft 5 has been unlocked and is ready for rotation. When current is supplied to the armature coil, rotation immediately begins, the direction of this rotation depending entirely upon the direction of current flow through the armature coil. In the case shown in Fig. 5, the armature would rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow; by reversing the direction of current flow through the armature, the armature and shaft will be rotated in the opposite direction. The rotation of the shaft by the armature causes the rotation of member 6 attached to the shaft and causes one of pins 81 to engage with solenoid core 77 and to rotatc the solenoid core and commutator 61 until finger 68 shall engage with one of lugs 69, which one depending on the direction of rotation of the shaft. \Vhen the finger Sf) engages one of these lugs, then current ceases to flow through electro-magnet 76 for the reason that the current flowing from wire 101 through the contacts 79 and disk 78 and flowing through wire 112 will then flow di rectly through wire 112 to the ring ('34: and thence through finger 6S and member to wire 114: and thence to wire 113 and around through the circuits hereinbefore described to the field coils 31 and EL; this being for the reason that the circuit through wire 112 through contact finger GS and member 70 and back to wire 11% is of greatly less resistance than the circuit through electro-magnet 76, and the action is as if the circuit hat simply been shorted across the electro-magnet. This will immediately allow the core 77 to be moved to the right in Fig. 1, disengaging disk 78 from contacts 79 and breaki a the circuit to both the field coils and the aiinature coil, it being remembered that the whole current to all of these coils passes through the contacts 79 and disk 78.- This will immediately stop the force tending to rotate the shaft and will immediately allow the field coils 31 and 32- to more baclt to their original position under the influence of spring 50. However, the parts are so arranged that the current is interrupted before the shaft is moved through a complete onesixth of a revolution and it then travels on by momentum until pin 45 drops into the next aperture 4L6 registering with the pin. This stops the whole machine in an exact registered position ready for the next operation.

Haring described our invention, we claim:

1. in combination with a rotatable shaft, an elcctro-magnetic armature thereon, a

field magnet cooperating with the armature, a contact mechanism controlling the supply of current to the field and armature and operatable by rotation with the shaft, and means to rotatably connect the contact mechanism to the shaft during a partial. revolution thereof.

2, In combination with a rotatable shaft an electro-magnetic armature thereon, a field magnet cooperating with the armature a contact mechanism controlling the supply of current to the field and armature and operable by rotation with the shaft, said contact mechanism adapted to normally remain in a certain position, and electro-magnetically actuated means to rotatably connect the contact mechanism to the shaft during a partial revolution thereof.

3. In combination with a rotatable shaft,

an electromagnetic armature thereon, a field magnet cooperating with the armature, a contact mechanism loosely mounted on the shaft and including an electro-magnct de pendent below the shaft and adapted to gravitationally hold the contact mechanism normally in a certain position, a switch adapted to be closed by 'he cnergization of said electro-magnet, means operated by said magnet when energized to rotatively connect the contact mechanism to the shaft and switch means for deenergizing said electromagnet after a certain rotation of the commutator, and a circuit including a source of electrical energy, the magnet operated switch, the field magnet and the armature.

4. In combination with a rotatable shaft, an electro-magnetic armature mounted on the shaft, field magnets mounted around the shaft and spaced longitudinally thereon from the armature, the field magnets being slidable on the shaft toward the armature, means for holding the field magnets from rotation, means dependent upon the longitudinal position of the field magnets to lock the shaft from rotation, means to supply electrical energy to the field magnets, and means dependent upon the longitudinal position of the field magnets for controlling the supply of electrical energy to the armarure.

In combination with a rotatable shaft, an electro-magnetic armature mounted on the shaft, field magnets mounted around the shaft and spaced longitudinally thereon from the armature, the field magnets being slidablc on the shaft toward the armature, means for holding the field magnets from rotation, means dependent upon the longitudinal position of the field magnets to lock the shaft from rotation, a switch adapted to be closed by the longitudinal movement of the field magnets, means to supply electrical energy to the field magnets, and means to supply electrical energy to the armature through the field magnet operated switch.

6. In combination with a rotatable shaft, an electr0-magnetic armature mounted on the shaft, field magnets mounted around the shaft and spaced longitudinally thereon from the armature, the field magnets being slidable to and from the armature, means for holding the field magnets from rotation, a spring holding the field magnets normally away from the armature, a flange rigid on the shaft and having a plurality of apertures therein, a pin on the field magnets and adapted to enter the flange apertures when the field magnets are in their normal position, a switch adapted to be closed by the movement of the field magnets toward the armature, a contact mechanism loosely mounted on the shaft and including an electro-magnet dependent therefrom and adapted to gravitationally hold the same normally in a certain position, a switch closed by the energization of said electro-magnet, means operated by said magnet when energized to rotatively connect the contact mechanism to the shaft, and switch means for deenergizing said electro-magnet after a certain rotation of the contact mechanism, a circuit including in series a sourceof electrical energy, the magnet operated switch and the field magnets, and a circuit connecting into the first mentioned circuit around the said field magnets and including the field magnet operated switch and the armature in series.

7 In combination a rotatable armature magnet, a field magnet cooperating with the armature, means to supply current to one of said cooperating magnets, switch means operated by the magnetism of the one magnet to supply current to the other, and switch means operated by the rotation of the armature magnet to discontinue current to both magnets.

8. In combination, a rotatable armature magnet, a cooperating field magnet movable to and from the armature magnet, means to supply current to the field magnet, means operated by the movement of the field magnet to supply current to the armature magnet, and means operated by the rotation of the armature magnet to discontinue current to both armature and field magnets.

In witness that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto subscribed our names this 1st day of December, 1911.

EDGAR J. PAGE. ORLANDO E. KELLUM. WVitnesses JAS. H. BALLAGH, BESSIE McMonDIE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents- Washington, D. G. 

